World War II Timeline By emily_brendel Nov 11, 1918 End of WWI Jan 20, 1919 Hitler Joins Nazi Party Mar 23, 1919 Facist Party established under Mussolini in Italy Jan 20, 1922 Mussolini takes over Italy Jun 30, 1922 Establishment of the USSR Jan 20, 1924 Death of Vladimir Lenin; control of USSR to Joseph Stalin; deaths of 8-13 million Russians Jan 20, 1928 US and 61 ot6her countries sign Kellogg-Briand Pact Aug 23, 1931 Non-aggression pact; Germany and Russia; divide Poland Jan 20, 1932 Japanese invasion of Manchuria Jan 20, 1933 Hitler become Chancellor of Germany, establishing the Third Reich Mar 4, 1933 Roosevelt takes office Jan 20, 1935 US begins passing Neutrality Acts Jan 20, 1935 Hitler Begins military build up May 9, 1935 Italian troops conquer Ethiopia Jan 20, 1936 Civil War begins in Spain under Francisco Franco Mar 7, 1936 German troops invade Rhineland Jul 7, 1937 Japan invades China Nov 5, 1937 Hitler announces secret plans for lebensraum Mar 12, 1938 Hitler takes Austria Sep 30, 1938 Munich Agreement; Sudetenland to Germany Jan 20, 1939 Franco is successful in Spain Jan 20, 1939 Totalitarian government established in USSR Jan 20, 1939 Russian army into Finland (Finns surrender in three months) Feb 2, 1939 Russian Army into Finland (Finns surrender in three months) Mar 15, 1939 Czechoslovakia falls to Hitler Sep 1, 1939 German invasion of Poland; blitzkrieg Apr 9, 1940 German invasion of Denmark and Norway May 1, 1940 Defeat of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg by Germany May 22, 1940 British and French defeat at Dunkirk Jun 1, 1940 Italy enters the war on the side of Germany and invades France Jun 22, 1940 France surrenders to Germany Aug 15, 1940 Plans for an invasion of Great Britain; beginning of the Battle of Britain
